Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-03-01

mies were really like, will, | think. agree
that from first to last the cooperation Of
even one army corps ofreguler troops would
have given complete victory to whichever
side it fought on"
LORD Wolseiey says that Lee told him
that he bad oDlY 10000 men in front CT Nc
Clelian 81 Antietam, with s few tired re-
serves behind, while Mcclellan nag an army
OF 100 600 men he states that Lee always
spoke well of Mcclellan, though he spoke
bitterly OF noue of his Eeder opponents.
In his reference - the thirty five DAYS
fighting around Richmond, just before the
surrender at Appomattox, Wolsesy says:
Lee had only $1,000 exhausted sc!dler5 to
oppose 10000 fresh men under Gen. Grant"
In speaking cf the faults OF Gen. Ice, he
says: zone Of them Was too great dread
Of wounding the feelings of Others which led
him 10 leave Incompetent men 70 fill i'm
portant positions This soflness Of heart or
amiablity, howeytr good IL Itself, may
amount 20 crime IN the man iDtrusled with
public affairs at critical moments. Lees
devotion TO duty and great respect for
obedience seem al Zines to i.wva made
him too subservent 10 those charged
with the civil government Of bis country.
He carried out too literally the orders OF
those whom the Confederate constitution
made bis superiors, although be must have
known them 50 be entirely ignolant If the
science cf way He appears to have forgot
ten that he was the great revolutionary
chief engaged in great revolutionary war,
that he was 20 mere leader in political
struggle of parties carried on within The
lines of an old, well established form of gov.
ernment Il wGs very clear to many at the
time, as it will be commonly acknowledged
now, that .he South could only hope to win
under the rule OF military dictator. IF
Gen. Washington had had Mr.. Davis over
him. could lie have accomplished what he
did =? II will, | an sure, be news to many
that Gen. Lee was given the command oyer
all the Confederate armies month Or two
only before the final collapse, and that the
military policy of the South was throughout
the war dictated by Mr.. Davis as President
of the Confederate States. Lee had no
power 10 reward soldiers or promote officers.
1t was Mr.. Davis who selected the men to
command divisions and armies. Is it to be
supposed ihst Cromwell, King William Ill,
Washington or Napoleon could have sue.
ceeded ii he revolutions with which their
names ere identified had they submitted to
the will and Authority OF Z politician as Lee
Gid TO Ar Davis?n
Lord Wolseley says that General Lee
was opposed 20 the defense of Richmond at
the last and that BE wa right, for if he
had drawn General Grants great army
into the interior, fbr a@sy from lis bese of
supplies, be woad hrge greatly weakened
ii. But il we.e VaiG Ia specnlate. Rich
mond fell and lees arDy surrendered Who
shall ever l4i!,om the depth of Lees anguish
wheD the bitter ega cane, and unen beaten
down by sae;s !oi e. of numbers and by alb
solutely na;t:ine Else, he found himself
obliged 10 surrender? :he handful! OF sarv
ing maa g.mai:iIrs %:th bin laid doHn
their arns aGG o. proud CG3lederacy
ceased to b.. Surely the crushing. madden
ing anguish 0. ewfui sorrow ia only known
to the leader vino hes 50 failed 20 accom-
plsh some lofty, some motto AIN, for which
he has lopg siriveu with might aud main,
With heart ana soul, in To" intcies;s Of king
or OF country. a smiling face. cheerful
manner nav corceal the sore place from the
eyes, possibly even from the knowledge OF
MS friends, bat there il 10 healing ior such
a wound. which eats into the very heart OF
him who has once received it,"
The article closes with this enthusiastic
estimate Of the Confederate chieftein
"When ali the angry feelings reused by
the secession are buried with those which
eAlS.Su Wien tEt bue iISCiui VI AuuO'
pendance was written; when Americans
can review the history of their last great re-
bellon with calm impaytiality, l believe
ali will admit that Gen. Lee lowered far
above all men oa either side in that strug-
gle. I believe he will be regarded not only
as the most prominent figure Of the Confed-
eracy, but as the great American of the
nineteenth century, whose statue is we'll
worthy to stand on an equal pedestal with
that Of Washington, and whose memory is
equally worthy to be enshrined in the hearts
of all his countrymen."